Look At Those Eyes
by hot-topicx
Summary: Basically, it's my take on Ian and Erin. It's really sad, though. Just...warning you. Haha. It's from Erin's point of view, mostly. You'll see what I mean if you follow the story all the way through to the end. Enjoy. Oh, and the italics are memories. I'm sure you would have figured it out eventually, but I still feel the need to state it.
1. Chapter 1

Climbing into the van, Erin muttered complaints about her incompetent classmates under her breath. None of them knew when it was better to just leave well enough alone. There was no sense in pushing and shoving in the hallways. It's not like they weren't all ready to get out of the hellhole that was called a school. She sighed and shook her head, leaning back to relax in the chair. She was able to completely relax when Ian punched on the radio, the music deafening in her ears. She closed her eyes and let the screaming drown out all of the thoughts in her mind. Everything about the day, the plans for Grad Night, and everything else just slipped from her mind as she tried to decipher the words to the music and the meanings behind the lyrics.

Her eyes flew open when the van came to a stop. She was surprised that they were in front of the McKinley Mansion rather than her house. She looked at Ian curiously and smiled when he simply took her hand and kissed the top of it. Climbing out of the van, Erin grabbed her makeup bag from her backpack and jogged to the door to Ian's shed-turned-apartment. Finding the right key on her keychain, she unlocked the door and pushed inside. She was surprised when he wrapped his arms around her waist and spun her to face him. She swallowed, smiling brightly, and pressed her lips to his in a soft kiss. She was surprised again when he ran his tongue along her lips, causing her to burst into a fit of uncharacteristic giggles. He smirked and nipped at her skin, walking her back into the bedroom.

It's not that Erin was angered or upset by Ian's gesture. It was quite the opposite, actually. She was thrilled that he was giving her this kind of attention. They had only gone this far a couple of times in the entire four years they had been together. It wasn't so much Ian's choice, or hers, but just a mutual thing that sex wasn't a big deal to them. They never really talked about it, either, it just happened. As Ian laid her down on the bed and pulled her jeans down her legs, Erin had to admit that the novelty of surprise that came with this was wonderful. Every touch, every caress, was overwhelming and she swore that she could never get used to the feeling, no matter how hard she tried.

Afterwards, Erin simply laid in bed. Her head resting on Ian's chest to listen to his heartbeat, she thought about what was to come. There was only a week left of class for seniors, then graduation after that. Their future was coming up faster than she had ever expected, and they still hadn't figured out what they were going to do. Erin wanted to go to Stanford and continue her studies in art, and Ian was willing to follow her wherever she went. But what was fair about Erin studying what she wants and Ian following her around like a little puppy dog? He had to have plans of his own. She chewed on her lip, considering this fact. She had never asked Ian what he wanted to go to college for.

"Hey, Zip?" she murmured, looking up at him through her dark lashes. She smiled when he ran his thumb along her cheek gently in response. "You never told me what you want to study. Like, if we go to Stanford, what do you want to go for?"

Ian hummed while he thought, making her hair tickle her ears. She laughed softly and moved to kiss him warmly. He smiled against her lips before laying back again. "Hm, gee," he started before breaking off to think again. "I don't fucking know. Nor do I care, really." Erin frowned, not particularly liking this response, and he noticed. "Why?"

She shrugged and sighed, resting her head on the pillow next to his. "I just don't want you to go to Stanford for me," Erin replied, looking up at the rafters. "Like, I want you to go to college for you, not me. I can study art anywhere. It doesn't have to be at Stanford. If there's something specific you want to major in, and they offer it at another school, we can go there."

Ian cut her off by sitting up slightly to hover over her. He leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead, then her cheek, her lips, then down her neck slowly. She smiled and closed her eyes, enjoying this rare, tender side of the McKinley teenager. He wasn't usually like this, even with her. It felt good in an odd sort of way. Like she could never remember how much they loved each other until moments like this. He was at her stomach when she started giggling at the touch. "Ian, school," she managed, curling her fingers in his hair tightly. "We were talking about school."

"Right," he sighed, clearing his throat as he crawled back up to the pillows. She almost regretted saying anything simply because the comment pushed some of the tenderness out of him. She watched him recollect his thoughts, running her forefinger along his cheek. "My major in college," he started, rolling his eyes up to look at the headboard. She quirked an eyebrow and smirked, waiting for him to finish. She knew he was pausing to make her antsy, and when he smirked to confirm her suspicions, she laughed. "My major is gonna be you, Pip." She rolled her eyes, thinking nothing of the sarcastic statement. "No, I'm serious. This is going to be the first time that we're _really_ living together, and I'm interested to see your habits. How you really act in the morning, what you do when you get home from a stressful day, seeing you get absorbed in your artwork. I want to see it all."

Erin chewed on her lip, thinking about this new development. She nodded and smiled, rolling on top of him, pinning his arms to the bed. "You might not like what you see," she murmured before burying her face in his neck. She picked a spot and started sucking softly, listening to the sharp intake of breath. She was pleased when he started struggling against her hands, soft moans and whimpers escaping from between his lips. She released his arms and moved down to nip at his collarbone gently before sucking there, making sure to leave a mark. A vicious snarl escaped his mouth and she giggled as he grabbed her, tossing her onto her back to begin his new assault on her.

After a nice, hot shower and frantic search for a clean set of clothes, Ian and Erin were in the van on their way to Grad Night. Erin pulled down the mirror over her seat and began applying her make-up, her mind going over what they were going to do that night. A new coaster had just opened called the Devil's Flight, and Ian was excited to ride it. She, on the other hand, was actually kind of nervous about it. She knew roller coasters were nothing to be frightened of, it was just science, but she had never been fond of high places. There was something else about it, too, that she couldn't quite put her finger on. Every time she thought about riding it, everything just seemed darker, like when a cloud moves over the sun. An ominous feeling spread through her veins that she couldn't shake.

After pulling into the parking lot, she checked herself in the mirror and grabbed her jacket, pulling it on to hide the long scars on her arms. Ian caught her hands and pushed the sleeves back. She shivered and closed her eyes as he ran his fingers down the long, raised lines on her wrists. She smiled slightly when she felt him press his lips to the scars, kissing each one carefully before pulling her sleeves back down. She opened her eyes and met his gaze before leaning over to kiss him softly. Erin savored the kiss as long as she could, knowing that once they were with their peers, the warmth that Ian was giving her would die. Climbing out of the van, she sighed softly, looking out at the crowd of teenagers trying to shove their way into the park. Jumping slightly, she was taken aback when Ian grabbed her by the waist and lifted her onto his shoulders before walking up to the flood of people outside of the gates.

Chewing on her lip, Erin gazed over the sea of heads and tried to estimate a time when they would actually get into the park. She smiled down at Ian as he tapped on her legs impatiently. That was when a large jock came out of nowhere and tried shoving Ian out of his way.

"Watch where you're going, McKinley," the familiar voice snapped as he kept walking. Erin rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to jut her leg out and kick Kevin Fischer in the back of the head. It's not like shoving them out of the way was going to get him into the park any faster. She never really understood why he had such a vendetta against Ian. Nevertheless, she couldn't kick him because Ian would scold her for getting into a fight that was not hers. She glared at the back of his head until she saw Wendy Christensen look up at her apologetically, as though she was personally apologizing for her friend's behavior. Erin simply sneered at the girl to show she was unforgiving, then focused her attention back on the crowd of people getting into the park.

Erin wasn't really a bitch. Well, she could be, but not so much as to give Wendy shit for something she didn't do. Wendy was relatively innocent (probably a virgin), and pretty nice when it came down to it. It was just that Ms. Ulmer had a reputation to uphold as the Angry Goth that ran around with Ian McKinley. She didn't do it because it was fun or it entertained her, but because when she was with Ian she felt cool. Not just some nerd or overachiever that liked to draw, which is what she really was. Erin probably wouldn't hurt a fly, other than herself. Sure, she'd been in her share of trouble in the past. Arson, breaking and entering, petty theft. It was never to harm anyone, though. When it boiled down to it, she really only liked the attention. She'd never admit it, though. Not to her old therapist, not to Ian, not to anyone. When she moved to McKinley, she had this chance to reinvent herself so that's what she did. She became this angry, ill-minded bitch that was a force to be reckoned with. Sometimes, when she was by herself, she wondered if she continued the whole ruse because it was what she wanted or because it was what Ian wanted. He was the thing that caused her to change, after all.

_"Welcome to McKinley, Ms. Ulmer" the office secretary murmured to Erin as she handed her the necessary papers to get her started at the new high school. It was only a couple weeks into her freshman year of high school, so she wouldn't be too far behind. Erin had gone through much worse with previous homes._

_Glancing at her schedule, she saw_ _that she had mostly advanced courses. This thrilled her because she liked to be challenged, but at the same time, it frightened her. If she had any shot at being popular, it wasn't with the people she was sure to find in these classes. AP classes baited your typical high school nerd, and Erin had had enough of being ridiculed for being a nerd. So she was smart, who the fuck cared? She wished she wasn't so concerned about what people thought of her, but she simply could not help it._

_Her first class, AP English, was sure to be her favorite class. One look at the scatter-brained professor, Erin knew that she had guessed correctly. She handed her schedule to the woman, who pulled a pencil from her frizzy hair and checked that Erin had attended. She smiled at the girl, and told her to choose any empty seat she came across. She chose one roughly in the middle of the room, next to the far right wall. She pulled the scrunchy from her hair and allowed her freshly dyed locks to fall in a curtain over the left side of her face, to hide her from the rest of the class. _

_Not long after the final bell rang to signal the commencement of first period, she felt eyes boring a hole in her back. Swallowing, she waited until the teacher had turned before shifting her weight in the chair, peering behind her to see who the culprit was. The pale, dark-haired boy didn't bother to hide the fact that he was staring. It wasn't even a stare really, almost a glare, like he couldn't believe she had the audacity to show up in _his _class, with _his_ teacher, and study from _his_ curriculum. Erin swallowed and tried to tear her eyes away, but found that she couldn't. She was fascinated by him. She took in his milky white skin, the dark eyes with circles around them, the crescent shaped scars that ran from his index fingers to his thumbs, and the chipped black polish on his nails._

"_Erin," the teacher called, sounding very faint and far away. This caused her to snap out of it and whirl around in her chair._

"Erin," repeated the voice, a hand on her waist shaking her slightly. "Erin! Snap out of it."

As Ian sank his teeth into the back of her neck gently, Erin started and looked around. "What?" she snapped, trying to push him off even though the bite felt heavenly. She held out her arm and allowed the man at the gates of the amusement park to hook the neon orange bracelet onto her wrist. She passed him and pulled her wallet, knife, and cigarettes from her pockets and slid the belt from her waist. She walked through the metal detector without any complications and gathered all her stuff back up into her hands. She heard screams of terror and joy from somewhere inside the park and could smell the wonderful aroma of fried dough. This excited her and she tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for Ian to catch up.


	2. Chapter 2

"A roller coaster is just elemental physics," Erin murmured, glancing from Wendy to Jason and back again. "A conversion of potential energy to kinetic energy." Immediately, she felt ridiculous. This kind of situation is usually what Erin went out of her way to avoid. She hated looking ridiculous or dorky when she shared random facts such as this, but she couldn't help it. When she heard Jason comforting Wendy, the information just tumbled from her mouth. Part of it may have been to make up for the glare she'd given Wendy earlier.

"Yeah odds are, like, one in 250,000,000 of dying on a roller coaster," Ian said, coming to Erin's aid. She gave him a grateful smile as Jason clapped him on the back and walked away with a sarcastic remark. "You're more likely to die driving to an amusement park than dying at one!" Ian called after them, rolling his eyes slightly. Erin smiled and snatched the cup from his hand and took a few gulps from the straw to distract him. She laughed softly when he grabbed her from behind and nuzzled her neck. Seems like everyone had been doing that to Ian his entire life, but he didn't mind. He enjoyed his reputation as an asshole and always had.

_"Shut up, McKinley," Kevin snapped, shoving Ian out of his way as they walked out of the cafeteria. Erin's first day hadn't been so bad, but some 'Malibu Barbie' girls were giving her a hard time about her schedule. Erin had done her best to ignore them, but found herself losing patience quickly and she could feel a sarcastic remark that would no doubt cause more trouble than its worth bubbling to her lips._

_"Hey, did you know that statistically, girls that dye their hair blonde have lower IQs than the girls that choose a different color," a voice said, taking a strand of Erin's red hair and rubbing it between his fingers. "Like, say uh...red for example."_

_After the bell that signaled fourth period rang, Erin glanced at her schedule and saw that she had study hall. Excellent, she could simply head to the office and return her schedule. Day was over with already. She smiled slightly and walked past Ian and out of the cafeteria. _

_"Hey, are you mute or is that just how you say thank you?" Ian called, following her out the door and quickly matching her pace. "Seeing as I haven't heard you say a word all day, I'm leaning towards mute, but statistics say otherwise."_

_"Oh," Erin said, stopping as he stepped in front of her to cut her off. She looked at the floor, feeling her cheeks redden._

_"So she speaks," he said, raising an eyebrow. "Still not a thank you, though. Maybe she was never taught manners."_

_Erin's head snapped up and she glared at him. "I'm sorry, we weren't all raised by the owners of a fucking town," she snapped, pushing past him and walking into the front office. She smiled and thanked the secretary for her help before turning back to the door. She frowned as she walked out and discovered Ian had simply waited for her._

_"That's a nice, bold statement from someone who isn't from good ol' McKinley," he said, falling into step with her again as she headed for the deserted pavilions to wait for her ride. He stepped in front of her again and walked backwards so he could face her as he talked. "Hey, what's this thing you always have your nose buried in?"_

_Erin made an appalled sound that was sure to match her expression as he plucked her sketchbook from her arms. "Hey!" she said, throwing her bag on a picnic table as she made a grab for the book. "That's mine! Give it back."_

_"Well, well, well," he said in quite the condescending tone. "Seems like little miss feisty likes to draw." He flipped through the pages and stopped at one of the newer entries, making Erin cringe. "Huh." was all Ian managed as he sat on one of the tables, running his thumb along the his cheek before tracing the feature in the drawing._

"It's gonna crash! The hydraulics, the coaster! Man, she's just tryin' to get some fucking attention."

"You know what, you're a real piece of shit, Lewis, fuck you!"

"Fuck moi? No, man, fuck you!"

Out of nowhere, a hand slapped Erin across the face, causing her to yelp in pain. Everything after that happened in a blur. Ian jumped into the fight between Kevin and Lewis in Erin's defense and she climbed out of the car and tried to pull him away from the other boys. In a flash, people in security uniforms were there, breaking apart the fight as their peers got off the ride out of annoyance. Erin pulled a still kicking Ian into her arms and threw her middle finger up at Lewis as they walked out of the ride. She could still hear Wendy sobbing as they walked out into the fresh air. Shaking her head, she laced her fingers with Ian's and pulled him to one of the cheesy carnival games, murmuring something about winning her a teddy bear. He was pulling out his wallet when there were screams and the sounds of crushing metal from behind them. Whirling around, Erin saw the Devil's Flight car-the very one they had been on only moments before-derailing and eight or nine teens fell to their deaths, one of them being Wendy Christenen's boyfriend, Jason Wise.

* * *

Erin glanced at Ian timidly as he glared at the road, going well above the speed limit on the way home. "Stay with me tonight," he finally said, speaking for the first time since they were boarding the roller coaster. The sound made her jump in the darkness. She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out so she nodded. Not seeing her, Ian gripped the steering wheel tighter, making his already white knuckles translucent. "Please," he snapped, his eyes brimming with tears.

"Yes," Erin replied weakly before clearing her throat. "Yes, of course, Ian. You don't even need to ask." She knew that he was fond of Jason, but she didn't realize it would affect him this much. She chewed on her lip and looked at her lap, spending the rest of the ride in silence. When Ian pulled into his driveway, she gathered the gel, the nail polish, and her makeup bag into her arms and carried them inside. She had poured everything onto the couch and turned on the lights before she realized that he hadn't followed her in. Swallowing, Erin decided to give him time and drew a hot bath. When the tub had filled and he still hadn't made an appearance, she walked back out the front door to find him still in the van, hands gripping the steering wheel.

"Zip, it's time to come in," she murmured, pulling open his door. "Come take a bath with me." She watched her hands shake as she pried his fingers from the wheel, afraid he might snap and swing at her. He had never done anything like that before, but they had never been through something as traumatizing as this either. Once she removed his hands, he climbed out of the van and walked inside, not bothering to wait for her. She gritted her teeth and threw her arms up in frustration before following him, locking the door behind her. She shed her clothes and tossed them wherever on her way to the bathroom. "Jesus!" she hissed, jumping slightly when she walked in and found Ian already relaxing in the water.

"C'mere," he mumbled, spreading his arms as she climbed into the tub. He pulled her closer in a tight hug, nearly cutting off her air. She let him hold her like that for a while, enjoying the way his thumb caressed her cheek. They stayed like that for what seemed like hours before she realized he was crying. Frowning, Erin sat up in his lap and twisted to face him. She remained silent, wiping his cheeks with the warm water until he calmed down enough to talk. "If we'd stayed on that ride... If I lost you-" was all he could manage before nearly losing it again.

"Hey," Erin said, soft but firm. "I'm right here. Don't even think about that, Ian. Don't." She placed her hands on either side of his face and pulled him into a kiss. It started out soft and steadily grew more passionate the longer it lasted. Ian's hands started to caress her skin and he yanked her closer. She rested a hand on the back of his neck, returning the kiss with the same amount of force and eagerness. Everything about this kiss felt right and in that moment, she couldn't imagine her life without him.

"_Those are really good," Ian admitted begrudgingly as they walked up Erin's driveway to her front door. Erin just nodded, pulling out her key. The boy had followed her home and she couldn't decide whether she was annoyed or elated. She certainly had made no effort to talk to him on the way, which he seemed perfectly fine with. He took the opportunity to tell her all about McKinley and a bit about his past. He caught her smiling a few times and took the opportunities to tease her._

_She lifted her key and was about to slip it into the lock when his hand reached out to stop her. "Hey," he said under his breath even though no one was around to hear. "I really do like the drawings. I'm flattered. It seems you're just as taken with me as I am with you." He smirked at her expression and reached over hesitantly, brushing her hair from her face and pulling her closer. Their lips had barely touched before the front door opened, causing them to jump apart._

"_Well, hello, Mr. McKinley," her foster mother said, smiling brightly at them. "Erin. How was your first day? From what I see, you seemed to have enjoyed it."_

_Erin blushed scarlet and glanced over at Ian as he smiled and said goodbye before backing away slowly. She watched him walk down the street and out of sight before turning back to Sandra and pushing her way into the house. She hung her bag on one of the hooks by the door and set her sketch pad on the kitchen table as she went to grab a snack._

"_You know, Ian's not the best kid," Sandra said, following her into the kitchen. "He's just not what I would want you with, but I won't tell you what to do."_


	3. Chapter 3

"How's your cheek?" Ian asked, running his thumb along her skin in a soft caress. "Does it still sting?" They laid in bed, the bath over with. Erin lay curled up in the swarm of blankets and sheets, enjoying the feel of the fabric on her bare skin. Ian was next to her, on his back with an arm curled around her neck to hold her close to him. Getting dressed was useless at this point.

Erin shook her head and smiled at him, surging up and planting a kiss on his lips. He chuckled and kissed her back, running a hand through her hair. She rolled onto his stomach and straddled his waist, pulling herself into a sitting position. She ran her hands up along his arms and laced her fingers with his, pinning him down. Ian's brown hues followed her every move as she leaned down and kissed him again, slower and much more passionate. She hummed softly to show her contentment and squeezed his hands gently. When she pulled away, they were both panting for air. "I love you," she whispered, the words pouring from her mouth before she even realized she'd said them. She cringed slightly and let his hands go, sitting back up.

After a minute or so of silence, she rolled onto her back again and covered her face with her hands. Ian took the opportunity to open a drawer and fish something out of it, which she guessed was a cigarette. "Do you really?" he asked, hovering over her and pulling her hands from her face. "I mean, really, _really_ love me?"

Erin chewed on her lip for a moment and nodded, gazing up into his eyes. They had had this conversation plenty of times before, and Ian had yet to say it back. He always came up with something along the lines of 'I care about you a lot', but never the words she wanted to hear. The first time she uttered the words was in the back of Ian's van. To her, the moment felt perfect, if not a little late. After, though, he just sat up and rubbed his head before smoking a cigarette. He showed no sign of even hearing the words she'd said and it bothered her. They, then, had a talk about it and he said he simply didn't believe in love. He'd never known it before and didn't think he knew it now. It even made Erin wonder because the closest thing she'd ever known to love was her father killing himself with grief over the death of her mother. Maybe it didn't exist, so she trained herself not to say it to Ian anymore.

Ian pressed his lips to hers again and she returned the kiss half-heartedly, trying not to let her disappointment show through her actions. She felt him smiling against her mouth, but it was too dark for her to properly read the expression. Her first thought was that he was laughing at her and immediately, her eyes welled up with tears that threatened to boil over if she wasn't too careful. What happened next caught her off guard and she found herself crying for the first time in nearly ten years.

"Marry me," Ian murmured, sucking her lower lip into his mouth gently. He held up what he'd dug out of the nightstand, which turned out to be a small, black box that held a diamond ring. She stared at him, wide-eyed. "It was my mother's, I guess. I found it in here when I moved in. It's real, I got an appraisal." He stopped and kissed her quickly when she opened her mouth to say something. "Pip, I absolutely adore you, don't question it. You gonna marry me or not?"

"Of course," Erin replied, sitting up and looking from him to the ring. "How long have you been planning this?" She raised an eyebrow as he slipped the ring onto her finger and held her hand in his. He slipped a hand onto the back of her neck and kissed her slowly-his favorite kiss. She returned the gesture, letting him push her onto her back. She moaned softly and wrapped her legs around his waist, the question forgotten

_"What exactly is this worthless piece of shit?" Erin muttered, taking a long drag on her cigarette and blowing it out into Ian's face. The air was crisp and chilly that October morning and Erin was still pretty insistent on taking her car to DC instead of this rusty old van that Ian was determined to drive._

_"It's the rape van," he replied as-a-matter-of-factly, as though it were a perfectly normal title. Well, it fit anyway. "And it runs beautifully and it has more room for our luggage, so we're riding in it to Washington."_

_"Zip, this is nuts, okay?" she replied, taking another drag before tossing the cigarette to the pavement and stamping it out. "I'm not setting foot in that thing. It's not even gonna make it to Virginia before it bursts into flames. No, my Camaro will do just fine, thanks."_

_However, it was no use. Ian was already throwing her suitcases into the back of the van and slamming the doors shut. "You have no faith in me, Pip," he replied, climbing into the driver's seat and starting the engine. "I just spent a year of my life working on this van and it runs and you're gonna be sorry that you ever insulted it. Come on, get in or I'm leaving you here."_

_He wasn't bluffing and she knew it. Rolling her eyes, Erin climbed into the passenger's seat and slammed the door shut. "I should leave a note for my parents with a picture of this scrap heap to explain why their oldest child won't be returning home in two weeks like she promised."_

_"Oh, lovely, another reason for dear old Sandra D to hate me," he muttered, pulling out of her driveway and heading towards the highway. "Admit it, you wanted to take this van."_

_"Why, in God's name, would I _want _to ride in this hunk of junk?"_

_"Because there's more room in the back for me to fuck the shit out of you properly when we get there."_

_Erin glanced over at Ian, laughing at the grin on his face. "In your dreams, McKinley," she murmured, turning up the radio as he sped along the exit and into the traffic._

_Erin took a deep breath and laid back in the dewy grass of the National Mall, setting her sketchbook down beside her. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" she asked, gazing up at the stars. She propped herself up onto her elbow and looked at the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial beyond it. "I mean, just everything about our capitol. It's gorgeous." She glanced over at Ian who was staring at her intensely. It reminded her of the first time she saw him on her first day of school, almost two years ago.._

_"Beautiful," he murmured, not taking his eyes off hers. She smiled in response and sat up, leaning back on her palms. She watched him inch closer, using his hand to brush the hair from the back of her neck. He rested his fingers there and pulled her face to his, kissing her slowly. She hummed softly and kissed him back, gripping the front of his jacket lightly. When he pulled away, they were both out of breath, hearts racing. "Erin," he whispered, nudging her into another kiss, this one rougher than the last with a hint of eagerness._

_Erin pulled away and grabbed her sketchbook and pencil quickly, racing him to the van. She climbed into her seat and cranked the ignition so the heater would come on full blast before he climbed in from the back. He grabbed her hand gently and tugged her to him, pulling her into another rough kiss. It was her turn to moan his name as he pulled off his jacket and pushed her shirt up to her chest slowly. Their hands explored each other eagerly as they undressed, their mouths finding new places to kiss, bite, and suck._

_"Fuck," Ian groaned. He'd pulled her leggings off and slid her skirt up to her abdomen, revealing a silky, red thong. Of course, she'd come prepared for this. It was their first vacation as a couple and they both knew that their first time having sex was long overdue. "Erin," he growled, pinning her to the floor of the van and kissing her hard, with fiery passion. She curled her fingers in his hair and moaned in response, her legs bending on either side of his waist to give him better access._

_The next few moments were a blur, the perfect mixture of pleasure and pain. Her thong was torn off and thrown to the side, which hadn't bothered her a bit. "Trust me, there's plenty more where that came from," she panted to Ian, which only seemed to make him want more. He thrust up into her, causing her to cry out, squeezing her eyes shut and sinking her teeth into his lower lip. He moaned and pushed through it, making sure she was alright. The pain was eminent, but only for about ten minutes. He hit her g-spot around fifteen minutes in and, enjoying the sound she made, he repeated the movement to get her to make it again. She was in pure ecstasy after that._

_She came three times before Ian was spent. Erin was amazed by his staying power and she loved him for it. Afterwards, they laid in the van together, Ian's jacket draped across Erin chest like a blanket. She shivered slightly and he pulled her closer, nipping at her ear softly. She giggled and he repeated the gesture to make her laugh again. "I love your laugh," he breathed in her ear, a soft chuckle escaping his throat._

_"I love you," she murmured, looking at him innocently. He looked back at her for a moment before uncurling his arm from her shoulders and sitting up. He ran a hand through his hair and fished in her bag for a cigarette, lighting it and taking a slow drag. She sat patiently, but he acted as though nothing was said to him. "Ian," she said firmly, sitting up and clutching his jacket to her chest._

_He took another drag and looked back at her. "Erin," he replied, blowing the smoke out to the side. She must have looked as though she was seriously wounded because he brushed his palm along her cheek gently. "Don't look at me like that. I care about you. I just don't believe love exists. If it did, though, I'm sure I'd feel it for you." He flicked his ashes into a cup and leaned down to kiss her. She surged up and met him for it, a soft whimper of satisfaction escaping from her lips. The taste of the cigarette on his breath was divine and she pushed her tongue into his mouth greedily, searching for more. He chuckled and ghosted his fingers along her skin before pulling back. "You're gonna have to wait, Pip. I need more energy and it's fucking freezing out here. I'll be ready for a second round by the time we get back to the hotel. You just relax and look beautiful like you always do." With that, he pulled on his jeans and climbed into the front seat, putting the car in drive and heading back to their hotel in the city._

* * *

** thegoodgirldoll**_  
_

**Thanks so much for the review! I'm posting two new chapters tonight just for you! :) Message me anytime.**


	4. Chapter 4

"Ian McKinley," Ian muttered, lifting his yearbook up to examine his artwork on the cover. "How pathetic is it that my last name's the same as my high school?"

Erin sat next to him, picking the nail polish from her nails. She leaned onto his legs lightly and shrugged, looking out at the rain and the shape of Wendy in the distance. She watched as Ashley and Ashlyn, better known as "the Ashes", walked over to her, inviting her to come tanning with them tonight before graduation. Erin glanced up at Ian, her mouth hidden behind her left hand, and burst out laughing. Ian just smirked, drawing another design on the front of his yearbook. The girls were being sincere and kind, which was sweet for them and Erin had to admit that. The fact that they thought that inviting Wendy to a tanning session would help make up for the loss of her boyfriend was outrageous and, in turn, hilarious. It came as no surprise that once the girls had turned their backs, Wen had crumpled the paper up in her fingers and walked away.

"Speaking of graduation," Erin murmured, nudging Ian's legs again. "Is a certain father figure going to be there tonight?"

Ian shrugged and continued drawing. "Fuck if I know," he replied blankly. "Fuck if I care. I'm only going to see you walk and go to dinner with the fosters and announce our engagement. Besides, it's a good excuse to get off work."

Erin studied his face and found a trace of emotion there, but it was hard to tell what it was. It could be a wide range of things; annoyance, pain, nervousness, or just plain hatred towards his father. Ian held no other feelings for the man and she understood why. Mr. McKinley always had better things to do than be a father to his outcast son, so that's what he did. The man let butlers and nannies raise Ian until he was old enough to get the fuck out of the mansion. He despised his father and wanted nothing to do with him, nor the money that would be his inheritance. Ian much preferred working at Build It and earning his own paycheck. Erin had only met the man once and hadn't seen him since.

After another fifteen minutes of the rain showing no sign of letting up, the couple ran out to the van and climbed in. They threw their stuff in the back and Ian started the engine, pulling out of the parking lot and speeding off towards Erin's home. After pulling into the driveway next to her little, red Chevy, Ian put the van in park and looked over at her.

"You should come in," she murmured, leaning over to press her lips to his. "I actually have something decent for you to wear tonight under your cap and gown." She kissed him again and was pleased to see a smirk touch his features for a moment. "Don't worry, it's black. Not a tux. That's just too fancy." He actually laughed out loud at this and cut the engine, climbing out of the van. Erin grabbed her things and followed him up to the front door, unlocking it and letting him inside. She watched him take the stairs to her room, shaking her head slightly and hanging up her things before walking to the kitchen for a snack.

"He shouldn't be here," a voice said from behind her, making her whirl around. It was her bratty little sister, another adopted child. She was due to start high school the following year, and she looked like she would be following in the footsteps of the Ashes, rather than Erin. "You know Mommy and Daddy don't like him."

"Well, I haven't cared before, so why should I start now?" Erin snapped, rolling her eyes as she pulled an orange from the bowl on the table and carried it upstairs. "Snitch on me, Elsie. I don't care anymore," she called over her shoulder before walking into her dark room, shutting the door with her foot. She took in Ian's tired body laying down on her bed, eyes closed. She smiled slightly and locked the door, walking in and sitting on the bed next to him.

"She gonna tattle?" he murmured, clearly on the verge on unconsciousness. Erin chuckled and set the orange on her bedside table before laying down and snuggling close to her boyfriend.

"Nah. She'd get busted for being home at noon instead of in school."

Ian nodded and closed his eyes once more, wrapping his arms around her securely. He fell asleep in no time and she just laid there with him. She enjoyed watching him sleep. He was peaceful, no traces of skepticism or sarcasm etched in his features. He was just Ian and that was just the way she liked it. So Erin propped herself up on an elbow and watched his chest heave, listening to the air fill his lungs as she traced little patterns onto his skin. It was a miracle they were still alive and she was still pretty much in shock about what had happened at the fair the week before. She certainly wasn't taking her time with him for granted anymore. Neither was he, from the looks of it. She smiled brightly when one of his eyes popped open and he snatched the hand that was touching his chest. He pulled the sleeve down and kissed along the scars on her arms. _Then again,_ she thought, pressing her forehead to his gently, _he never took me for granted much, anyway._

_Erin collapsed onto her back, chest heaving rapidly as Ian nibbled on her neck softly. She smiled and swallowed, running a hand through his hair gently. His eyes flickered to her face before he grabbed her arm._

_"What's this?" he asked, turning her arm so that the palm faced upward. He grabbed her other arm and examined the damage done there. "Erin, the fuck is this?" he snapped, eyes darting up to glare at her._

_"It's history," she replied sharply, snatching her arms back. She suddenly felt overly exposed in their small hotel room and she climbed out of bed to dig for clothes in her suitcase. "Why do you think I wear long sleeves all the fucking time? I'm not always cold."_

_"I never thought you were hiding scars like _that_," he replied, sitting up in the bed. "Some of those look fresh, Erin. What the fuck?! Don't I make you happy?"_

_Erin stopped digging through her underwear and examined her arms. "What are you talking about? The last time I took a knife to my arm was the morning before I met you," she shook her head and shot a glare back at him. "What about you, Ian? You have a couple of pretty nice ones that are hidden by your wristbands."_

_"Those are from ages ago!" he bellowed, rising to his feet. Erin flinched and pulled on her clothes quickly. "Besides, that was an experiment. I didn't like the feeling of a blade slicing through my skin. I fucking told you that! And to think, I thought when I was telling you that story you were rubbing your arms because you were imagining the feeling! Turns out you were just uncomfortable with the topic altogether. Care to share, Pip?! Anything else you chose to keep from me!? Anything you wanna share?" Ian had advanced on her and she was pressed flat against the wall, eyes squeezed shut and waiting for the first blow. When it didn't come, she opened an eye and peeked at him. She tried to read his expression and she could tell he was doing the same with her. "Do you think I'm gonna hit you?" he asked, the anger seeping from his tone. He took her by surprise and grabbed her by the waist, tugging her into a tight embrace. He buried his face in her hair, kissing the top of her head. "What the hell did they do to you?" he asked, anguish replacing the madness that was there before._

_Erin stood still for a moment, still half-expecting him to fly out and hit her. After the fear passed, she relaxed and wrapped her arms around him. She kissed his collar bone gently and pulled back enough to look up at him. They exchanged weak smiles, and she stood on her toes to kiss him softly._

_"You must never do that again," Ian whispered, taking her arms in his hands and pulling them up to his lips. He kissed every scar individually, causing shivers to run up her spine. "Promise me."_

_Erin nodded and nudged his mouth up into a kiss. "I promise."_


	5. Chapter 5

"No. Absolutely not," Jonathon Fletcher said, looking at Erin sternly over his steak. "You will not marry this boy. Especially not fresh out of high school."

Erin glared at her foster father, her spoon swirling around in her mashed potatoes. "Daddy, you can't tell me what to do anymore," she replied. "I'm eighteen. Besides, it's a little late to tell me I can't do something with Ian. Like, four years too late."

"Yeah, well, if I'd had my way, you wouldn't have been seeing this juvenile delinquent in the first place," he snapped back before turning to glare at his wife. "But someone didn't wanna keep you on a tight leash because of your past and all that. Bullshit if you ask me."

Erin opened her mouth, a stream of curse words ready to stream out at him, but she was interrupted. "Excuse me, but this is my son we're talking about," James McKinley interjected from the end of the table. "And let's not pretend Erin is the perfect little angel. She set a fucking shed on fire, for God's sake. She's lucky you guys wanted her, otherwise she'd just now be getting out of the system. Probably'd be in jail."

Erin watched everyone at the table's expressions turn dark. She was too afraid to even spare Ian a glance so she simply sat staring at her lap. So James McKinley had done his research on his son's girlfriend. Obviously, the man still cared for his son even though the feelings would never be returned. Erin knew that this should make her angry because it was an invasion of her privacy, but she couldn't help but respect the man.

"Excuse me?" Ian and Jonathon said in unison. Ian's voice rang sharp and clear, making Erin's father cut off in surprise. She was shocked when he let Ian continue. She was also a little dismayed because she had hoped this would be a dinner without someone going home with a bloody, broken nose.

"Ha, Dad," Ian started, glaring down the table at his father. "do you know Erin at all? No, don't speak. I didn't ask if you knew about her, I asked if you knew her. You've met her once, at a dinner that _she cooked_ in an attempt to get your approval. You didn't even take a bite of it, Dad. You sat down at the table, had a glass of wine, and fiddled with your phone the entire fucking time. After you finished the damn glass, you left to take care of some 'business'. Didn't even spare her a passing glance on your way out. She asked you weeks in advance if she could make you dinner and you still didn't care enough about her or me to clear your fucking schedule. She was _heartbroken,_ father! All she wanted was your fucking approval. She wanted you to know her. **I** wanted you to know her. She makes me happy! This girl is the most beautiful, witty, funny, talented person I have ever known and she is nothing but innocent. I don't deserve her. I know that. The world knows that. But don't you DARE act like she's a criminal. Don't act like you're not giving your blessing to this fucking wedding because no one asked for it. Not even that, but you have no right to sit there, at this table, and pretend to know who she or your son is because you don't. You have no clue. At least Mr. Fletcher has a right to say no to this idea. He's taken time out of his life in the past four years to get to know me. He's taken a lot of time out of his busy schedule to spend time with me. Clearly, it's not what he wanted to do, but he did it because Pip wanted him to. I love her, and nothing you say is ever going to change that. You know what? Leave. You need to leave. No one invited you here anyway and you're definitely not welcome. This is a family dinner and you're not anyone's family but your own so leave. Now."

Erin looked around at everyone at the table. She and her siblings were all on the verge of laughter, but her parents and James looked as though Ian had just slapped them all in the face. A snicker escaped Erin's mouth and she covered it quickly. The sound seemed to bring everyone back to their senses, though, and faces were composed. Mr. McKinley cleared his throat and cut a piece of his steak, eating it slowly before speaking. "Well, Ian," he said nonchalantly. "I don't really like the way you just talked to me, nor do I understand why you-"

Ian slammed his fist onto the table, drowning out the rest of his father's sentence as he tossed his napkin on the table and stood to his feet. "I swear to God, if you don't get your ass out of this restaurant right now, you will be in the fucking emergency room before the hour's over. I don't care if I go to jail, I will beat you within an inch of your life if you do not leave." Now everyone looked dumbfounded and Erin tugged on Ian's arm gently trying to pull him back down next to her. He shrugged her off, though, the next word coming out of his mouth as a shout. "**NOW!**" he bellowed, taking a step towards the man.

James had the audacity to laugh at his son, sitting back and folding his arms. "Yeah?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "And how do you plan to get out of jail? You think she can afford to bail you out with her salary from Build it?" Ian's shoulders slumped slightly, and his smile widened at the weight shift. "Exactly."

"I'll bail him out," Jonathon chimed, standing to his feet and wiping his hands off. The whole restaurant was listening in now and the shocked faces resonated like the sound of a hard smack. "He's more my son than yours at this point anyway and I have no problems with him kicking your ass out the door, James."

With an exasperated huff, the owner of McKinley stood to his feet and walked out of the restaurant. He stopped in the doorway to take one last look at his son before slipping out into the night. Erin looked from Ian to her father as they sank back down to their seats. She swallowed and filled her mouth with mashed potatoes so she couldn't be asked to comment on what had just happened. Ian slipped an arm around her waist and kissed her temple, whispering an apology in her ear. She just nodded, keeping her eyes down as she ate.

"Do you really love her?" Jonathon asked, eating a bite of steak as though the entire incident had not happened.

"Yes, sir," Ian replied with a firm nod. He plucked Erin from her seat and set her in his lap, kissing the top of her head. She smiled and leaned back against his chest, taking a few more bites of her food in silence.

"Then when's the wedding?"

* * *

"Tragedy struck this evening when Ashley Freund and Ashlyn Halperlin went to the Phoenix Tanning Salon to get a touchup before their scheduled graduation. In a freak accident, the beds the girls laid in caught fire and they were trapped inside. More details on this story as the night continues."

Erin shuddered and shut off the TV, rolling off their bed and walking to the bathroom where Ian was taking a shower. "The Ashes are dead," she said, stripping off her dress and climbing into the shower with him. "They ended up trapped in their tanning beds as they caught fire."

"Damn, seriously?" he asked, stepping out of the way so she could wet her hair. He grabbed the loofa and squeezed some body wash onto her stomach, causing her to shiver. He worked the soap into a lather and began washing her body slowly. "That's really depressing. Especially after last week."

Erin simply nodded, refusing to open her mouth for fear of a moan escaping. She had nearly forgotten about the girls already as Ian massaged the soap into her skin. She smiled at him as he leaned forward for a gentle kiss. He dropped the loofa clumsily and placed a hand on her stomach. "Did you feel that?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows slightly.

"You mean my stomach twitching like it does every time you touch it?" she asked, laughing softly. "Barely."

"No, it's not that," Ian murmured. He placed his other hand on her abdomen gently, holding it there. This time, Erin did feel it. It was like her insides were churning, but it wasn't a pain or anything. It was as though a small person was rolling over in her stomach. Her eyes widened as she met his gaze. His face was a mess of emotions, torn between grinning and grimacing. "You didn't tell me you were late," he mumbled.

"I've missed periods before," she whispered. "I didn't think too much of it." She hummed slightly as Ian crashed his lips to hers roughly. She wrapped her arms around him as he pushed her against the wall of the shower, kissing her passionately. She let out the moan she'd been holding and wrapped her legs around his waist. He growled in response and pinned her arms above her head, searching for purchase. Once he found it, he sunk his teeth into her neck and shoved into her at the same time, making Erin scream in pleasure. At once, she was glad she'd decided not to go back home with her parents. It was incredible. They seemed to be making up for four years worth of sex in a week, and she absolutely loved it. As she listened to Ian grunt into her neck, she decided it was safe to say he did, too.

"I love you," Ian panted in her ear, causing butterflies to erupt in her stomach as it tightened. A sound escaped her throat that he knew and loved well-it meant she was coming. "I love you," he repeated, slamming up into her mercilessly. She would be sore in the morning, but she didn't care. Her nails dug into his back as he kept repeating the three words she'd longed to hear for so long, driving him deliriously close to the edge. She knew because he slowed to a near stop, regaining control. She gasped for air and curled a hand in his hair, pulling his face to hers in a hard kiss. This got him moving again, but in a different manner. He no longer rushed, but was tantalizingly slow as he moved in and out of her. This caused her to whimper and whine, squirming in an attempt to make him speed up. He groaned, a deliciously low and guttural sound, and gripped her hips with incredible force to stop her.

The water ran cold, but neither of them noticed. She gripped Ian's hair and kissed him as much as she could, sucking and nipping at his lips. His slowed pace was just becoming irresistible when he began to speed up again, pulling his lips from hers to bury his face in her neck again. The entire house was silent, but for Ian's grunts & groans and Erin's moans & cries. She pressed her lips to his ear and whispered a soft "I love you." Ian cried out softly and looked up at her, nipping a spot on her jaw and returning the words. She made that beautiful sound again and Ian took in a sharp breath. The two came together, holding each other tight through an earth shattering climax that left Erin light-headed and slightly woozy.

Ian shut off the water and swung her legs up into his arm, lifting her out of the shower. He set her on the counter and wrapped a towel around her shoulders, kissing the tip of her nose before dropping lower to press a kiss to her stomach. She smiled and wrapped the towel around her torso, swinging her legs. She laughed softly as he wrapped a towel around his waist, a goofy grin spreading across his face. "This is the best day of my life," he murmured, lifting her off the counter and carrying her into the bedroom, laying her down on the bed. "I got permission to marry the girl of my dreams _and_ I find out we're having a child that we can totally corrupt. This kid is gonna take over the world, let me tell you, Pip. How does chocolate chip cookie dough sound?"

Erin laughed and nodded. "Sounds delicious, Zip," she replied, pulling the towel from her body and wrapping it around her hair. She laid back again, letting the breeze from the fan cool her body slowly. "Let's not jump to conclusions, alright?" she called after him as he walked into the kitchen. "I mean, maybe it was just something I ate, making me all gassy and bleh. We'll pick up a test on the way home from work tomorrow." She grabbed her cigarettes off the dresser and lit one, inhaling deeply. She couldn't help but smile at the thought of having a child with Ian, though. The thought was absolutely frightening, but at the same time it was exhilarating.

"Don't tell me we had that mind-blowing sex for nothing, Pip," Ian said, walking back into the bedroom with a carton of ice cream and two spoons. He stopped in the doorway briefly to admire her body before continuing into the room, collapsing onto the bed next to her. She took another drag on the cigarette and blew the smoke in his direction. Chuckling, he opened the carton, setting it between them, gathering a large spoonful of ice cream and eating part of it. He smeared the rest of it on her chest, making her hiss and shiver from the cold. "Tell me that wasn't the best sex you've ever had," he murmured, beginning to lick the cream from her chest. He licked and sucked on her breasts slowly, nipping her where he picked up bits of cookie dough into his mouth.

Erin mumbled something unintelligible, closing her eyes and arching her back to press her chest into his mouth. She curled her free hand into his hair and let out a loud moan, making Ian laugh as he lapped up the last of the ice cream from her skin.


	6. Chapter 6

_Ian laughed and looked off into the trees, shaking his head. "God, Fischer is such a pussy," he said, grabbing a grape from the picnic basket and popping it into his mouth._

_Erin tapped the toe of her boot into his thigh lightly. "Hey, stop moving," she scolded. She was almost done with the drawing and it didn't really matter anymore, but she liked telling him what to do. She finished the piece and handed Ian the paper so he could see. It was his, after all. She had so many drawings of him from the past three years that the last thing she needed was another one. _

_He studied the paper for a while before digging a binder out of his book bag and slipping the drawing into the front of it. "Thanks, babe," he murmured, leaning over and pecking her on the cheek. He popped a few more grapes into his mouth and laid back on the blanket. "So, tell me what happened to your birth parents," he said softly, looking over at her._

_Erin took a deep breath and thought for a while. She had never really talked about it before and she wasn't sure why. Sure it was sad, but she never knew them so it didn't matter much to her. Leaning back on her palms, Erin stretched out her legs and nodded. "Well, apparently there was a complication with my birth. I don't really know the details, but I guess she started hemorrhaging. They couldn't stop the bleeding in time and she died," she explained, looking at the trees as a breeze blew through them. "My father was supposedly stricken with grief. Wouldn't even hold me in the hospital. He jumped off a bridge." Erin shrugged and looked at her lap, surprised by how emotional it made her._

"_Well, at least you never knew them," Ian thought aloud. She looked at him curiously and he shrugged. "Sometimes, when I get a whiff of some smells or when I see the way sunlight glints off water, I can see my mom or I can hear her laughter."_

_Erin tilted her head to the side and watched him. "What happened to her?"_

"_She was hit by a car when I was three," he replied nonchalantly. "I mean, I hardly knew her, so it's not like it was a huge deal, Apparently, I saw it, though." He broke off and let out a weak chuckle. "Maybe that's what the fuck is wrong with me."_

_Erin shook her head and crawled over to him. "There's nothing wrong with you, Ian," she murmured, kissing him softly. "Some people experience death at a young age. It's just...part of life." She shrugged and laid down again, resting her head on his stomach so that their bodies formed a T. She smiled as he fanned her hair out and ran his fingers through it slowly._

_"Yeah, well," Ian muttered, shrugging. "It's never fair when people die young."_

"Yet, whether it is with this tragic loss of young lives-which we have suffered much of late-or the soft passing of the elderly in the night, we are all equal in death's eyes."

"Equal," Ian repeated, loud enough for the entire funeral to hear. Erin rolled her eyes and looked over at him, silently pleading with him to stop. It was no use. "In death's eyes? All of us? How can you say that?"

"Shut up, McKinley!" someone in the crowd called.

"Dude think it through," Ian continued, without missing a beat. "Charlie Manson, he made it to seventy. Osama? Still kicking. Pimps, Vice-Presidents walking around. All the atrocities they've committed, they're alive and well." Erin, wishing she could disappear at this point, was smiling at the appalled faces that had turned to look at them. She shushed Ian and pushed against his shoulder gently. She tried telling him it was time to go and eventually just said to shut up, but he took absolutely no notice of her. "These two girls, never done shit to _anybody_, and they don't get to make it to eighteen? Where's the fucking equality in that?"

Kevin and Lewis closed in on Ian, gently taking his arms to carry him away from the crowd of people. Erin nodded in thanks and followed as Ian walked ahead of them, trying to shake their grip. "Alright," he muttered. "Okay, alright. I'm going. Alright!" They followed him all the way to the van, stopping as though to make sure he was actually going to leave. No one said anything, which Erin silently thanked the Lord for, so no fights ensued. She walked around the van and climbed into the passenger side, kicking off her shoes as Ian pulled out of the parking lot.

"This is bullshit," Ian muttered, making his way through the busy streets of McKinley. "I can't believe people believe in a divine being if shit like this happens everyday. I mean, why would any god kill innocent and young people only to leave the guilty ones?"

Erin remained silent, climbing into the back of the van to change her clothes. She was torn about her beliefs. The Fletchers believed in God, and so did her last family. When she looked back on her life, she couldn't decide whether or not she would thank him. On one hand, He got her out of her abusive homes and put her with the Fletcher family. Then, there was the fact that she has Ian, she's not in jail, and she was alive. On the other hand, He killed her parents, put her with the abusive families, and didn't grant her death when she was asking for it. Now there's this. People their age were dropping left and right. It was terrifying. Ian wouldn't think anything of that, other than the fact that it's not fair.

Ian pulled into the back of the employee parking lot and cut the engine. He climbed into the back with her and slipped off his jacket. They finished changing in silence, pulling their aprons on as slowly as they could to delay going to work. Erin slipped her keys into the front of the apron and moved to open the back doors of the van. She jumped as Ian grabbed her from behind and rubbed her stomach softly, kissing her cheek. "No heavy lifting today, alright?" he murmured in her ear.

She smirked and rolled her eyes, nodding a bit. "Alright, fine," she replied. He had been completely psychotic at work since the pregnancy test came out positive. She could only restock the pillows and curtain samples it seemed. He didn't want her to carry anything heavy, sharp, or toxic. That meant she wasn't allowed near more than half the store. She may as well just go on maternity leave now because Ian wasn't letting her do her work anymore. She could barely be a cashier without him popping up every ten minutes to make sure no one brought her paint to ring up. If it wasn't cute, she would have yelled at him by now. As it was, she had to admit he was being pretty adorable so she dealt with it.

She took a deep breath and climbed out of the van, slamming the doors shut after he climbed out behind her. They walked into Build it and clocked in. She grabbed a water from the break room and headed out onto the floor, immediately getting swept up by a customer asking for help with decorating. Erin smiled brightly, following the woman to the carpets and curtains. She hated Build it. Not so much the store, but what she did. She hated having to put on a happy face and help people do things they could do themselves if they just paid attention to their surroundings. Ian hated it, too, but it was money in their pockets. That's all that really mattered, especially now that they had three mouths to feed.

_Erin walked into the home improvement store, trying to calm her heart rate. It was her first day of work and she was terrified of screwing it up. She was completely grateful to Jonathon for helping her get this job and she kept telling him that she'd owe him forever. He always laughed and shook his head, telling her that as long as she did well at work it was enough for him._

_"You stalking me now?" a familiar voice said from behind her. Erin had made it through half her shift without complications and she was sitting on one of the benches outside, eating her lunch in silence. She smiled and turned around slowly, munching on a French Fry. "Hello, Miss Feisty who's handy with a pencil."_

_"Ian," she murmured, pulling her legs up to her chest so he could sit down across from her. "You didn't tell me you worked here."_

_"Didn't think you cared who paid for your dinners as long as they got paid for," he replied, plopping down in front of her and snatching a few fries. "I'm surprised you haven't seen me yet. I've been following you around all day. Even pushed back my lunch just so I could take it with you."_

_Erin laughed and took a bite out of her cheeseburger, savoring the taste before speaking. "Touché," she replied, folding her legs Indian-style. She watched him stare at her burger longingly for a minute before reaching into the bag to grab her second one and handing it to him. "You can afford some fancy dinner dates, but you can't afford lunch?"_

_Ian scoffed and unwrapped the burger, taking a large bite. "We don't all have a fancy car to get around on lunch breaks," he replied, taking another bite. "Why do you have two burgers if you didn't realize I worked here?"_

_"I eat a lot," she replied, shrugging. "I could honestly eat three or four burgers at a time before feeling full. I'm fat, what can I say?" She took a large bite out of her burger to prove her point._

_Ian laughed and shook his head. "Oh, yeah," he replied. "Obese. I can totally tell you eat so much. You're huge, Pip."_

_Erin sipped on her soda and looked at him curiously. She handed the cup to him and tilted her head to the side. "Pip?" she asked, munching on a couple of fries and licking her lips._

_He nodded and gulped down some of the soda. "Yeah, I've decided that's what I'm calling you from now on," he replied, leaning closer to her and using his free hand to pull her into a light kiss._

_"Ah, I get it," she replied, laughing to herself about the movie reference. "Pip and Zip." She wrinkled her nose at the kiss and smiled. It always caught her by surprise when he did something like that. Ian wasn't big on affection, which was fine by her because she wasn't too big on it herself. She wasn't used to closeness with anyone and he was her first boyfriend, so she wasn't sure on how to handle things._

_"Pip and Zip," Ian confirmed, laughing softly at the face she made. He grabbed her arm gently and looked at her watch. "Shit. Five minutes. Time to go."_


	7. Chapter 7

"Frankie Cheeks," Ian said as Erin climbed into the van after picking up some more of her clothes from her parents' home. "Franklin Cheeks bit the dust today."

Erin frowned and tossed her suitcase in the back of the van. "Frankie's dead?" she asked, collapsing in her seat and pulling on her seatbelt. "He got off that ride, too, didn't he?"

"Yeah," Ian said, pulling out of the driveway and heading back to his house. "Fucking crazy. Some guy lost control of a moving van and it crashed into the back of Kevin Fischer's truck. Knocked the engine out of it and into the back of Frankie's head."

She wrinkled her nose, rubbing her stomach when she became nauseated. "That's odd," she murmured. "Lewis was behind him, right? Then it was us. What if-"

"Don't," Ian said, cutting her off with a laugh. "That's ridiculous. Frankie actually deserved to die. He was a pig. He used to come onto you all the time in school, remember?"

Erin laughed and nodded. "Yeah, he was fucking gross. He was video taping the Ashes in line, remember?" she recalled, unhooking her seatbelt as the van rolled to a stop. She reached back to grab her suitcase and he swatted her hand away. She sighed and climbed out, walking to the door and slipping her keys from her apron to unlock it. "He was definitely a pig, but I don't know if that means he deserves to die." She walked inside and held the door for him as he lugged her bag to the bedroom. She followed him in and sat on the bed, making a quick grab for a cigarette while his back was turned.

"No. ma'am," Ian said over his shoulder before she even touched the lighter. "No smoking for either of us for nine months." She grumbled to herself and threw the box back onto the nightstand, watching him open her suitcase. She smiled brightly as he started putting her clothes away, watching him dig through the fabric and quickly finding her lingerie. "You did that on purpose," he mumbled, pulling out her thongs one by one and placing them in a drawer.

"You can't prove that," she replied, laying back and laughing softly. She gazed up at the rafters and thought for a while. "Why'd you kiss me that day?"

"What day?" Ian grunted, finishing her clothes and crawling onto the bed next to her, pulling the Build it apron from her neck. He tossed it on the floor and laid his head on her left breast as though it were a pillow. She poked his nose and laughed when he bit her finger, latching on gently.

"When we met," she answered, wiggling her finger from his mouth and wiping it off on his shirt. "You followed me home and kissed me. Why?"

"Uh, because I wanted to?" he asked, sitting up a bit and looking at her. "Why else?"

"Okay, why did you _want_ to?"

"Easy. You're beautiful. You always have been, Pip. You were new to McKinley and you're different. You're smart, talented, funny, sarcastic...dark. Mysterious. Plus we like all the same things. I can insult you and you come back with something ten times worse than what I said without a single regret. I mean, I guess I didn't know all of that on your first day at the high school, but I knew most of it."

"Then why didn't you just ask to take me on a date?" she asked, running a hand through his hair. "I mean, you didn't have to kiss me right away."

"In my experience with girls, just asking you on a date wouldn't have worked," he replied, closing his eyes and making a sound of content when she touched him. "I wanted you, babe. I had to make sure you wanted me, too. The drawings weren't enough. For all I knew, you drew everyone you saw. Which you do, by the way. You draw everyone that comes along and makes an impression on you."

Erin laughed and nodded, happy with his response. She closed her eyes and yawned softly. "Damn, I'm tired," she whispered, rolling onto her side and curling up into a ball.

"Oh, no," Ian said, resting his chin on her hip and pinching her legs gently. "You're not getting off that easy. You did kiss me back, you know. Dish it." He pulled her jeans down a bit to bite down on her hip bone, making her squirm and laugh.

"That tickles, Ian," she muttered, trying to push him off. "Of course I kissed you back. I was terrified. This crazy kid had followed me around all day, _followed me home_! If I didn't kiss him back, he could have killed me." She grinned and wrapped her legs around his head playfully. "I mean, he could have been a psychopath. I didn't wanna make him angry."

Ian chuckled and bit her through her jeans. "Oh, yeah," he agreed, placing his hands on her sides. "You're right. I totally would have hacked you up with an ax if you had denied me." He rolled onto his back, pulling her into a sitting position above him. "Good perception."

She laughed and sat up on her knees, scooting down to sit on his chest. "I'm just good like that," she teased, running her fingers through his hair before leaning down to peck a kiss onto his lips. "No, but seriously. I drew you for a reason. I thought you were cute. I mean, here was this weird kid-pale as a motherfucker-that was glaring at me in all my classes. Clearly he's smart because he's challenging me in every class to see who can answer the most questions correctly. My initial thought was 'he hates me,' and then he defends me at lunch. He teases and makes fun of me, but I absolutely love it. Then he follows me home and tells me about my new hometown. He tells me about his life. He cares. Then he presses his lips to mine and what else am I gonna do? Shove the only friend I have away from me? No. No, I'm gonna kiss him back because I want him as much as, if not more than, he wants me." She smiled and laced her fingers with his, wrestling to overpower him playfully.

"Well, clearly, kissing you was the best decision I ever made," he replied, rolling over and flipping her onto her back. She laughed and rolled them back over, pinning him down. They wrestled on the bed for a while, unafraid to hurt each other. Erin noticed how wary Ian was of her stomach and it made her smile. Just from the way he acted around her now showed how excellent of a father he was going to be. She knew that he wanted to be so much more than his dad and she wished she could show him that he already was.

After being punched in the face for the fifth time, Ian laughed and held up his hands in defeat. "Uncle," he said. "I give! I give." He placed his hands on her face and yanked her down into a warm kiss before glancing at the clock. "Dinner time."

Erin fell back on the bed and watched him get up. She wrapped her arms around his neck from behind and kissed his cheek before he could get to his feet. "Can't I just have you for dinner?" she asked, nibbling on his ear. She smiled when he leaned his head back slightly to press his lips to hers.

"As excellent as that sounds, I think you two need something substantial for dinner," he replied, rubbing her arms and standing up. She sighed and hopped off the bed, following him to the small kitchen. "How does breakfast sound?"

Erin nodded and stood in the doorway for a while, watching him cook. She laughed as he flipped the pancakes, dropping the first two on the floor. He started to throw it out, but she stopped him. "We'll put it out for the birds and squirrels," she called as she walked to the door. She opened it to throw the food out and yelped in surprise. James McKinley stood in front of her, fist up as if he were about to knock. She tossed the pancakes out the door the leaned on the doorframe. "Mr. McKinley. What can I do for you?"

"I came to discuss the well being of the baby," he replied, straightening his jacket and pushing past her into the small house. "Wow, it smells good in here. Breakfast for dinner?"

"What do you want, Dad?" Ian said, walking out of the kitchen and drying his hands. He looked at Erin and she shrugged, closing the door and leaning back against it. She rested her hand on her stomach, rubbing it slowly. She took a deep breath and walked into the kitchen, pulling the eggs and bacon from the fridge. She started frying the bacon and listened to the conversation that was beginning at the kitchen table.

"As I said before, I came to discuss the well being of the baby," James said, sitting in Erin's chair and folding his legs. "I want to adopt him."

"What?" Erin snapped, turning away from the stove slightly. "No, you're not taking my baby. You must be insane if you think you're taking our child."

Ian held up his hand to stop her from going off on a rant. She huffed and turned back to the bacon, trying harder to focus on not burning it. "Well, I think Erin spoke for both of us," he said calmly. "You're not taking it."

"I'm prepared to give you whatever money you want," James replied, making Erin grit her teeth roughly. "If that doesn't work, I am also prepared to take you to court. I will be a more fit parent than either of you. I can afford the baby, whereas you can't. You guys are going off to college at the end of the summer, you currently live in a shack. The way I see it, we can do this the easy way or the hard way."

"Do you really think you can buy our child?" Ian asked, sounding appalled. He sat across from his father and folded his arms. "I've never given two shits about your money before, so what makes you think I will give up my child so you can adopt him?"

"The hard way it is, then," James said, standing to his feet. "I hope it's a boy. Someone needs to inherit the town and since I happened to fail with you, I'm hoping this child can take the job."

"You'll fail with it, too," Ian replied, raising an eyebrow. "Unless you miraculously learn how to be a father to your children."

Erin started the eggs and cleared her throat loudly. "James, why don't you stay for dinner?" she asked, ignoring Ian's glare. "We have more than enough and I'd like to talk a little bit more about your proposal."

Ian jumped to his feet and moved to Erin's side. "What are you doing?" he murmured in her ear. He glared at her, looking betrayed and hurt. It killed her to see the look on his face so she pulled him down into a soft kiss.

"Trust me," she whispered. She forced a smile and looked over at her future father-in-law.

James looked back and forth between them, an eyebrow raised. "Well, I may have underestimated you, Miss Ulmer," he replied. "You seem to have your head screwed on straight. I would love to stay and discuss this." He sat back down and pulled out his cell phone, making Erin's stomach churn.

_"I'm so nervous," she muttered, waving her hands to provide air to her neck. "Ian, what if he hates me?"_

_Ian snorted and tugged on the back of her ponytail. "No one on this planet could ever hate you," he replied. "They would have to be insane. Much like you are for wanting him to like you so badly. He's a sleazeball and not even close to worth your time." He curled his fingers in her belt loops and tugged her closer, pressing his lips to hers._

_She smiled and kissed him back, placing a hand on the back of his neck. She jumped back as a timer went off. "Shit, that's the brownies," she murmured, turning around and grabbing a potholder. She pulled the pan from the oven and cut the brownies into even squares._

"_You know, someone should really taste those to make sure they taste alright," Ian said, leaning over her shoulder and taking a deep breath. "Oh, and you look absolutely irresistible with your hair in a ponytail. Do that more often." He pressed his lips to her neck, sucking softly._

"_Ian," she protested. She tilted her head to give him better access before shaking it off. "No. After dinner." She picked up a brownie and stuffed it halfway into his mouth before taking a bite of the rest. "Mm, gah. That's delicious."_

_She made three plates and carried them out into the large dining room. The expansion of the McKinley mansion was incredibly intimidating and it only made her more nervous. She took a deep breath and poured three glasses of wine, lighting candles on the table. Ian followed her into the room and sat down at one end of the table. She smoothed out her blouse and sat in the middle of the table, taking a sip of the wine. James McKinley was the last to enter and he sat at the head of the table, across from his son. She smiled brightly and watched him take a sip of the wine, pulling out his phone._

_Erin glanced at Ian who was already eating his ham. He winked and gave her a thumbs up to let her know it was good. She smiled and started in on her food. "So, Mr. McKinley, how's work?" she asked, trying to make conversation._

"_Great," he answered bluntly. She waited for him to elaborate, but he said nothing. He took another swig of the wine and continued playing with his phone._

_This continued for another ten minutes. Long enough for James McKinley to finish his wine and excuse himself, his dinner untouched. Erin watched him leave and swallowed. She looked back at Ian, who looked murderous. She finished her ham and drank her entire glass in one sitting._

_Ian got up and walked over to her, pulling her chair out and dropping to his knees in front of her. "I'm so sorry, babe," he murmured, reaching up and rubbing her cheeks softly. She simply nodded, staring at him blankly. "He's a pig. Don't give him another thought. Your dinner is lovely. Let's just finish eating and take those brownies back to the house. We'll pig out and go to bed, okay?" She nodded and smiled as he pulled her down, kissing her forehead lightly._


	8. Chapter 8

"Erin, that bacon was delicious," James said, rubbing his stomach. "I'm very sorry I haven't had a chance to taste your cooking before."

"Yeah, well, you did have a chance, Dad," Ian chimed, finishing his eggs. "Remember? She roasted some pork and made mashed potatoes and gravy. From scratch. It was delicious. Too bad you didn't take a bite of it."

"Ian," Erin scolded, smiling at his father. "Stop living in the past. Now, about this deal you wanna make with us. You said you wanted a child to carry on the family name, yes? Inherit the business and basically run McKinley."

"Yes," James replied, using a piece of pancake to sop up some of the bacon grease. "See, I had wanted that to be Ian, but as you can probably tell, he has no interest in the family business."

Erin nodded, chewing on her lip. "Well, you can't force something on someone," she replied lightly. "Especially when they're young. It makes them hate you-everything about you. Ergo, Ian has no interest in what you do or what you have to say. If you plan on raising your grandson the same way, you should expect the same attitude. I have a proposition for you, James."

James's head snapped up and he looked at her, his face torn between curiosity, rage, and impression. "Is that so, Erin?" he asked, sitting back to keep his eyes locked with hers. "And what is that?"

"You let us raise our child," she replied in a steady tone, refusing to back down. "We raise it, with your financial help if you so wish to give it. We make sure it knows it's roots, bringing it back to McKinley as often as possible. Perhaps even allowing you to have it over the summers when it's old enough. That way, you can plant your seeds. We will tell it nothing but good things about it's grandfather and promote the idea of it following in your footsteps to inherit McKinley. If it desires to do so, it will. If not, you will do nothing to try and force the idea. It's simple, we all win."

James nodded, keeping her gaze. "You're serious about this aren't you?" he asked. "Typical mother. Willing to fight tooth and nail, even die for her child. Makes sense." His eyes flickered to his son who was gazing at Erin in wonderment. "And do you agree to those terms?"

Ian nodded, reluctantly tearing his eyes off of her. "Yeah," he said, looking at James. "Yeah, I'm completely fine with that."

"Then it looks like we have a deal," James said, getting to his feet and holding out his hand to Erin. She held his stare and shook his hand firmly. "Excellent. Well, I'll leave you be now. Thanks again for dinner, it was lovely. Goodnight." And with that, James McKinley disappeared out the door.

"Wow," Ian said, locking the door behind him. "I am so turned on by you right now."

Erin laughed and carried all the plates into the kitchen. She filled the sink with water and started washing them slowly. "Well, I was nervous as hell, but it was worth it," she replied. She jumped slightly as Ian appeared behind her, pressing his pelvis into her backside. She smirked and shut off the water, drying her hands and turning to face him. "You weren't kidding."

"No," he hummed, shaking his head and brushing his nose against hers. "No, I really wasn't. I am in awe and I really want you. Right now." He lifted her up onto the counter, unzipping her jacket slowly.

She laughed softly and pulled his shirt up over his head before kissing him. "You don't waste any time, McKinley," she murmured against his lips.

"Well, what you just did in there was amazing, Ulmer," he replied. He ran his palms along her cheeks and pulled her down for a kiss, stopping just before their lips touched. "Fucking sexy as hell."

"_I've been considering going back to my natural color," Erin muttered, scrunching her hair up with gel. "Dye is so damn expensive."_

"_Don't," Ian replied. He was sitting on the counter next to her, touching up the polish on his nails. "I'll start paying for the dye."_

"_I didn't say I couldn't afford it," she replied, standing back and admiring her entire outfit. She smoothed out the wrinkles and fluffed her hair a bit more. "I just said it was expensive. Besides, I've heard blondes have more fun. It's senior year after all. Maybe we should go all out. Scare 'em by turning into preppy douchebag bitches. McKinley High wouldn't know which way was up anymore."_

_Ian snorted and blew on the drying polish, swinging his legs back and forth. "I think the entire population of McKinley, Pennsylvania would go into shock." he muttered, looking up at her. He shook his head and clicked his tongue. "Damn, that skirt. Why do you wear that skimpy shit all the time? As if the male teenagers that walk those halls aren't horny enough for their own girlfriends."_

_She rolled her eyes and looked up at him. "I have to absorb Vitamin D somehow," she replied. "I can't let them see my arms, so I may as well show off my legs. Besides, you like it."_

"_I do like it," he admitted, checking to see his nails were dry before grabbing her arms and tugging her closer. "That doesn't mean I want _other guys_ liking it."_

"_Ian McKinley," Erin teased, feigning shock. "Are you jealous? Are you actually being _protective_ right now?" She slipped her hands into her jacket pockets and raised her eyes to meet his._

"_Seems that way, Pip," he replied, tapping her lower back gently. He leaned in for a peck on the lips and took a deep breath. "Ew. You're wearing perfume, too?" He sniffed her neck and made a soft sound that might have been a moan._

"_Vanilla," she replied. "It's just my body wash, Ian. I'm sure you're the only one who'll get close enough to smell it."_

_Ian nodded and studied her for a minute before sliding off the counter and pushing past her. "Don't go blonde," he said on his way into the bedroom. "The red is really sexy on you. Brings out your eyes."_

* * *

**Not much left. AHHHHH.**


	9. Chapter 9

Erin woke up freezing. Why did he like to keep the house so fucking cold? She sat up, lost for a few seconds and unable to pinpoint her surroundings. Then it hit her: they fell asleep on the couch. Without a blanket, too. No wonder she was cold. She got up slowly, trying not to disturb Ian, and grabbed her underwear from the floor. She sighed when she held it up and saw the strings had been ripped. "Typical Ian," she muttered under her breath as she walked back into the bedroom. She pulled one of Ian's hoodies from the closet and slipped it on, snatching a fresh thong from their underwear drawer.

A fresh pot of coffee later, Erin sat at the table and went through the mail. She opened a couple of their acceptance letters and sipped from her mug.

"You know, it's a felony to go through other people's mail."

She jumped, nearly spilling her coffee on everything. "Damn it, Ian," she muttered, setting the mug down. "You know I hate that."

"Sorry," Ian replied, plopping down next to her with his own mug of coffee. "You were really absorbed if you didn't notice me getting up. What's on your mind?"

Erin noted that he was now wearing boxers and a robe, a testament to how out of it she really had been. She shook her head and rubbed her temples slowly. "I just don't feel well," she replied, folding her arms and setting them on the table in front of her.

"Morning sickness?" he asked, concern etching itself onto his face.

"Nah, it's not like that," she replied, setting her forehead down on her arms. "It's just, like...a bad feeling. I kind of got the same thing before Grad Night, so I'm not handling it very well."

Ian reached over and rubbed her back slowly. "I'm sorry, babe," he replied. "I'm sure it's nothing. It'll pass." She nodded and sat back up, puckering her lips for a kiss. He chuckled and pressed his lips to hers softly. "That's a nice outfit, by the way. You should just wear it all day. Or at least until I pull it off you."

"No can do, Zip. Work tonight. We go in at three and work until closing."

"Well, at least it's our favorite shift. We're the only ones who ever get slapped with closing."

* * *

"Zip, it's Pip. Have you cut those plywood orders yet?" Erin murmured into her walkie-talkie, pushing a cart in front of her into the garden section of the store. The day was finally over with, and she was just ready to get out of Build it and go home. The ominous feeling had yet to leave, seemingly intensified by the home improvement store. She pushed it to the back of her mind, though, and just lost herself in her work.

"Uh, that's a big no, Pip," Ian's voice rang out from the radio, making her jump and nearly drop the potted plant she was placing on the shelf in front of her. "Osama Bin Supervisor wants me to get rid of these pigeons first. Keep setting off the alarms."

She nodded and shuddered, picturing Ian with his nail gun-his favorite toy-preparing to shoot the birds that had begun to nest in the confines of Build it. She put the rest of the plants back in their proper places and lifted a large, clay pot onto her shoulder. She smirked, thinking about how angry Ian would be if he knew she was lifting something so heavy. She pulled the radio from her apron and clicked the button. "Hey, after I restock this stuff that these pinhead customers can't manage to return to the shelves themselves, we can blow out of here, okay?"

"Righteo, babe."

Erin set the pot down where it belonged and straightened it out. As she straightened her back out, a loud banging came from her left causing her to jump and scream.

"Sorry! It's Wendy and Kevin," Wendy called, through the metal gate that had been closed for the night.

Erin placed a hand over her chest to calm her racing heart and walked over to the gate. "Shit," she spat at them, pulling her keys from the front of her apron and unlocking the gate for them. "You scared the shit out of me."

"Yeah, wait 'til you hear what we have to tell you," Kevin said, pushing past her into the garden center. She waited for Wendy to come through before closing the gate once more and locking it.

"What do you need? I have to restock this crap," Erin muttered, grabbing the cart and pushing it back into the store. "Walk and talk so we can go home."

She weaved her way through the aisles and listened to Wendy's story about how everyone who got of the ride at Grad Night was dying. Erin rolled her eyes and shook her head. As though she hadn't noticed that already. If that wasn't enough, they had come with visuals. They shoved photographs in her face that had been taken that night at the fair, pointing out how they showed each death before it had happened. She had to admit that all of it was odd, but it was all just a big coincidence. She laughed softly when they requested that Ian be present for the rest of the talk. She pulled out the walkie-talkie from the front of her apron and shook her head as she pressed the button. "Zip, it's Pip," she muttered, still laughing. "Come over here. You are gonna trip when you hear this."

"Well, paint me intrigued, Pip, I'm on my way."

Wendy handed Erin the picture of her and Ian on the Skill Shooter, a game that Ian had decided to play in an attempt to win her a prize. She studied the photo and smiled to herself. "So, let me get this straight," she said, sarcasm dripping heavily into her tone. "I'm gonna OD on nail polish, and Ian is gonna be embarrassed to death?" She set the photo in the basket in front of her and looked from Kevin to Wendy, waiting for an explanation.

"You saw what happened to Wendy," Kevin said. "Alright? What's happened to the others. You just saw their pictures!"

They were walking through the aisle full of lamps and other forms of lighting. Erin simply shook her head, refusing to believe anything they had to say. Just then, the lights started flickering. It was all she could do not to burst out laughing at Wendy's expression. She was so easily spooked, it seemed. It came as no surprise when Ian's head popped up from around the corner in front of them, a smirk on his face as he flipped the switches.

"Oh, my God guys, what's going on?" Ian teased. "What's going on? That's _crazy!_ That's crazy."

Erin laughed and pushed the cart forward, watching Ian back up the forklift to allow them time to get in front of him. Wendy rushed past her and glared at Ian, looking highly offended.

"We need to know who was sitting behind you on the roller coaster," she said, her tone serious. This made Erin roll her eyes. How could they possibly remember?

"Okay, who was sitting behind us on the roller coaster?" Erin said, looking at the items in the basket in front of her. She watched Kevin stare at her intensely, as though he honestly expected her to be serious. "Oh, wait! Hey, wasn't it that one kid who got voted 'Most Likely to Become Manager at Red Lobster?!'" She laughed and turned to Ian who returned the smile,

"Oh, wait, God I remember," Ian said as she turned back to the aisle in front of her. "There was a guy! Black cloak, I didn't see his face, but uhm, the ride attendant did take a sickle before the ride started, if that's helpful in any way."

Erin snickered as Wendy rolled her eyes. "Do you think we care if you laugh at us? This is our lives, okay. What choice do we have, just give into it?"

"Oh, God, you know what? There is no 'it'."

"Okay, are you guys saying that death is, like, a person?" Erin asked, cutting Ian off as she tossed some pillows into a bin to their left.

"No, it's, like...like a force," Kevin answered, talking with his hands.

"Yeah, well, you know what? A force is just a force," Ian responded, driving the forklift behind them steadily. "It's nothing else, just transferred energy! I mean, there's no goals. No awareness that it is a force."

"But there is awareness, McKinley," Kevin argued. "In fact, in past cases, if the next in line is saved, it'd skip that person. That's why we're here."

"Oh, God. What have you been smoking?"

Erin put a couple more items back where they belonged and listened in silence as the argument ensued. She glanced around and noticed Wendy had stayed a bit behind them, staring at some wind chimes. She snorted to herself and shook her head, continuing on her way. She handed Ian a bottle of chemicals, muttering "Top shelf," so he could use the forklift to reach it.

"Okay," he murmured, taking the jug from her and pulling a lever on the forklift.

"Kevin," Wendy said, sounding breathless as she trotted up to her companion. "Those banners, they're in the picture."

"Ian, watch those boxes!" Kevin called, sounding way more urgent than he needed to. Erin cringed as Ian spun the wheel on the vehicle, knocking into another shelf, and causing a bag of birdseed to fall to the ground.

"What the fuck, man! You said those boxes were falling!"

"No, I said 'Watch the boxes'!"

"Really, what for? They're not doing anything!"

"We're not gonna apologize for trying to save you!" Wendy snapped, glaring up at Ian. Erin chewed on her lip and sighed, annoyed. "You haven't seen or been through what we have. Yet."

"Oh, yet," Ian scoffed, turning back to the controls to move the forklift.

"Okay, so, who's next in this theory you have?" Erin asked, attempting to change the subject. "Me or Ian?"

"Well, we know the order we were sitting in on the roller coaster, but not how it works with people who sat together," Kevin explained as Erin pulled the cart to a stop, setting a saw blade onto a hook.

"We don't know if Ashley or Ashlyn died first," Wendy chimed.

"Mm," Erin hummed, pushing the cart forward again and glancing back at Wendy. "Death is fucking complicated." She started laughing again and turned back around.

"No. You know what? It's not complicated, it's simple," Ian said, chuckling a bit over Erin's statement. "People die. That's just a part of life. 150,000 people a day, actually. You know? I mean, we're biological entities and death is just the end of biological function. It's as simple as that."

Erin tossed aside a couple of metallic tubes that hooked onto the back of dryers and handed Ian an air conditioning filter. "Top shelf."

Ian took the filter from her and hit the lever on the forklift again, rising up above them as Kevin started arguing again. "How can you explain what happened to us as simple?" he said, looking up at Ian. "I mean, if Wendy hadn't had that premonition and none of us had gotten off that ride, we'd all be dead right now. Does that not make sense to you?"

Erin heard a couple of nails drop from the shelf Ian was at and picked up a magnet, using it to grab up the fallen nails. She pulled them off the magnet and stuffed them in her apron pocket, shoving the magnet onto the shelf nearest her.

"Oh, yeah," Ian replied, rolling his eyes as he came back down to the ground. "Kevin, how come when a guy dies of a plain heart attack, no one goes, like, 'Oh wow, he was eating French Toast when Princess Diana died in Paris and then he saw her funeral on TV, and now he's dead'? You know why? Because they would sound crazy, so guess how you two sound right now. Crazy."

"Zip, I'm done, so finish cutting those orders so we can get out of here," Erin muttered, shoving the cart out of her way and walking over to the wood cutting station.

"Okay," he replied, following behind her on the forklift.

"_What would you do if I died?" she asked, curling her feet underneath her body and taking a sip of hot cocoa from her mug._

_Ian took a deep breath and thought for a while. "Go on, I guess," he replied, shrugging. "I mean, I'd hurt. It'd hurt like hell. I suppose there'd be a portion of time afterwards where I wouldn't want to live anymore."_

"_But?" Erin asked, watching him carefully. _

"_But I would realize that me dying isn't what you'd want. So I'd continue living. I'd finish school, get a job. Maybe get married and have kids. I'd never forget you, that's for sure."_

_Erin nodded and sipped some more of her cocoa, turning her attention back to her book. She shivered slightly and read another page before realizing Ian was watching her. She looked up at him and sighed softly. "Fine," she muttered, marking her page and closing the book. "I would probably kill myself before I would live on this earth without you, Zip."_

_He groaned and looked away for a minute. He looked back at her, shaking his head. "Pip, you can't," he murmured. "I would never want you to do that."_

"_So, I'm selfish," she replied, shrugging and taking another gulp from the mug. She hummed happily as the warm, creamy chocolate ran down her throat, warming her entire body. "Besides, you're all I live for as it is."_

"_Well, hopefully our deaths will be way in the future," he replied. "We're only eighteen, after all. Let's stay hopeful."_

_Erin smiled and nodded. "Of course," she murmured. "I was just curious if you would move on."_

_Ian stood to his feet and stepped over to her, leaning down and pressing his lips to her forehead. "No one could ever mean as much or more to me than you do," he whispered._

"Okay, let's go with what you guys are saying." Ian muttered, setting a two by four on the bench. "Let's just say, you know, that death does have a conscious plan and that it's been set into motion. Great. So, Newton's Third Law of Motion-and, well, look, I'm just guessing that it goes for death, too when he's working in our world. Newton says that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. So, that means that if death has taken action, so can we. And that that action we take might have an opposite reaction that thwarts death's intent."

"You're being a fucker, but go on," Kevin interrupted, helping Ian with the boards. Erin stood back, resting her chin on the broom. She ran her tongue along her back teeth and smiled slightly, enjoying the confrontation.

"Okay... Okay. What if, for example, the last in line were to make the utilitarian choice...kill themselves," Ian said solemnly, locking his eyes with Wendy. She looked murderous, and Erin smirked at the rise it seemed to get out of her. "Wow, that's pretty much gonna ruin any plan death's put in motion. And even better...hey, it's gonna save five skipped lives... Any takers? Nah, I didn't think so."

Everyone's eyes were on Wendy as she stared at the ground. She looked as though she were honestly contemplating it when all of a sudden, her eyes widened. "There-those!" Everything happened in a flash. Lawn stakes that were positioned in a box high above Ian's head started to come down on him. For a horrifying moment, Erin thought he was going to be impaled, but luckily Wendy tackled him to the floor and out of the way. Then hundreds of plywood sheets began raining down on them, Erin standing just out of the way. Kevin dove on top of Ian as Wendy rolled out of the way. The sound was deafening-just crash after crash of splintering wood. What happened next, no one was prepared for.

A sheet of plywood landed on a pile of stakes on the floor, catapulting one into the air. The stake flew into the inflated sandbag, puncturing it. Erin cried out in pain as sawdust filled her eyes, jumping back from the air swooshing from the bag. She hit the ground hard, feeling the pain jolt all the way up her back from her tailbone. The next thing she knew, the back of her head hit something cold. Mind-splitting pain erupted through her entire body as nails were ejected from the nail gun into the back of her head, one of which pierced directly through her eye and the hand that covered it. Erin made a sound from the back of her throat as she looked at Ian. A lifetime worth of memories flashed through her mind, the last thought being her unborn child who would never get to see the sun. She heard Ian's cry of agony in the distance and then everything went black.


	10. Chapter 10

"This is ridiculous," James McKinley shouted, banging his fist on the table of the interrogation room. "I can assure you, officer, my son had nothing to do with this. He loved that girl and would never do anything to harm her. You can't charge him for setting the nail gun down where her head happened to collide with it!"

Ian's stomach lurched and he covered his face. "May I be excused?" he muttered weakly. "I'm gonna be sick." As the officer opened the door, he bolted from the room and down the hall. He found the men's room and shoved his way inside, collapsing in the first stall and retching into the bowl. His eyes swam with tears, but he was terrified of closing them for fear of seeing her death again. It had been almost ten hours since the horrifying accident and he had been reliving Erin's last moments non-stop ever since. Their questions certainly weren't helping. "Get out," Ian commanded as the door behind him swung open.

"They're letting you go, son," his father said from somewhere behind him. "They know you didn't do anything wrong. Do you need a ride home?"

"No, I've got my van," Ian replied. He coughed and wiped his mouth on his sleeve, flushing the toilet as he stood up.

"I'm so sorry, Ian," James said, reaching out as if to pat Ian's shoulder. He seemed to think better of it, though, and his arm dropped to his side. "Erin was a great girl and I was looking forward to having her in our family."

Tears fell from Ian's eyes and he nodded. "Yeah, me too," he murmured, walking to the sink and washing his face. He walked outside with his father, agreeing to meet him and the Fletchers for lunch later on so they could discuss the funeral arrangements. There wasn't much to discuss, he knew. Erin had always wanted to be cremated and it would be for the best at this point. He climbed into his van and simply sat there, trying to collect his thoughts. He took a deep breath through the nose and realized that the air still smelled like her. Vanilla. His body shook as he fought to keep in the sobs that threatened to overtake him. How could she be gone? _His Erin_ was gone. She wasn't sleeping, she wasn't just staying at the fosters' for the night. She wasn't coming back.

His expression hardened when he saw Wendy and Kevin walk out of the station, already deep in conversation. They were probably discussing how they could save the next person from dying, not even caring a bit that Erin was gone. They wanted him to believe? Well, he believed alright. Something seriously fucked up was going on here, and it was all Wendy's fault. Her and her stupid vision. First Jason died, now Erin. Not to mention the other teens that had lost their lives in the meantime. As Ian watched Wendy break away from Kevin after a tender looking embrace and climb into her car, he made the decision to do something about it. He didn't know what yet, but he was going to do something. Maybe he'd just stick to the girl and wait around to watch her die. Make sure no one intervened like she had with his. At the very least, he was going to avenge Erin, and their lost child.

"_I'm sure it's nothing. It'll pass," Ian replied, furrowing his brow at her explanation. She usually wasn't the superstitious type. He chuckled as she puckered her lips, standing up slightly to press a soft kiss there before sitting back down. He watched her for another few moments. His sweatshirt hugged her body in all the right places and he loved it. "That's a nice outfit, by the way. You should just wear it all day. Or at least until I pull it off of you."_

"_No can do, Zip," Erin replied, making his face contort into a slight pout. "Work tonight. We go in at three and work until closing."_

"_Well, at least it's our favorite shift. We're the only ones who ever get slapped with closing." It was a sad truth, but it usually went over well that way. If they were the only ones in the store after hours, the work got done and they got to spend time together. It was a win-win, if you really wanted to call it that._

"_I'm hungry," she whined softly, making him laugh. He glanced at the clock and realized they were already pressed for time. They always slept way too well after a kinky night. Just thinking about it made his insides squirm a bit so he pushed the thoughts from his mind. He never thought he could fall more in love with Erin, but last night proved him completely wrong. After the way she stood up to his father, something most people _older_ than James McKinley were frightened to do, Ian knew she was the one he had to be with for the rest of his life._

"_Well, we had pancakes, eggs, and bacon last night," he thought aloud. "What do you propose we dine on, Pip?" He finished his coffee and walked into the kitchen, pouring another mug and looking in fridge. "We have stuff for turkey sandwich melts."_

"_That sounds good," she replied from right behind him, making him jump. He smirked, shaking his head at her form of payback. He pulled out the turkey, lettuce, tomato, and cheese, setting it all on the counter. She jumped into action and started slicing, heating, and melting. He held up his hands in defeat and walked back to the table, sitting back down. One of the thousands of things he loved about her. She could cook almost anything, and he couldn't even make blueberry muffins out of a box. She was never taught anything, either. It just seemed to come naturally to Erin, like her ability to draw. Never took an art class in her life, but she could draw a picture of him so well that it was frightening._

_After lunch, the two jumped into action. They got ready for work with minimal conversation. It bothered him a bit, and he could tell that she hadn't shaken that feeling of dread. He wished he knew what to do to take her mind off of it, but he couldn't come up with anything that didn't consume too much time. In the end, he settled for grabbing her before they left and kissing her heavily. He knew it had worked from the way her breath hitched in her throat. He had wasted so much time over the past four years not being intimate. Looking back on it, he doubted he would have changed a thing, though. It only made the kisses and the sex better now. They were stronger for it._

"_Remember, no heavy lifting," he muttered, swatting at her ass gently. He enjoyed the way she squealed and fought to get out of his grip._

"_Yes, Dad," she replied sarcastically. She realized the irony in the statement and giggled softly, walking out to the van. He smiled and watched her climb in before turning to lock the door. Today was definitely going to be another good day._

"Get the fuck out of here, McKinley!"

"Hey, I'm just celebrating our town's Tricentenial!" Ian replied, swatting a bouquet of balloons out of his way. He was walking perpendicular to them, and he wasn't far from cutting them off. Wendy and her younger sister, Julie, were covered in blood and carrying a weak-looking Kevin towards the first aid tent. Ian had watched the madness unfold as a horse dragged Julie through the field, nearly strangling her. Then, something pierced a gas line, nearly blowing Fischer's face off. He found it amusing in a sick, twisted sort of way. Maybe he was a sadist.

"You followed me!" Wendy called, sounding as though she were on the verge of tears. He smirked and kept his pace.

"Oh, you are paranoid," he replied, wincing slightly as the fireworks exploded overhead. "But, hey, I saw what happened. You're next, right? You're the end of it, aren't you? Man, I would be paranoid, too."

"You didn't even believe me!"

"Yeah, well, seeing is believing," he muttered, his expression turning dark.

"You have to stay away from me!"

"Have to? Wow, that's extreme," Ian replied, coming to a stop in front of the first aid tent, blocking their way. They stopped, too and just stared at him. Wendy had a panicked expression on her face and she was looking at him as though he was going to snap at any moment. Well, it was too late for that. Then something dawned on him. "Oh, no way," he murmured, a humorless smile spreading across his face as he looked around before locking eyes with her once more. "Do _I _cause your death? Just like you caused Erin's?" They darted to the side to move around him, but they were carrying most of Fischer's weight for him so Ian was faster. He darted to his left, continuing to block them. "Whoa, whoa whoa whoa whoa what? Did you have a vision? Was I in it? Was I-was I in a PICTURE!?" His voice raised to a holler as he held his arms out around him, the pyrotechnics still going off above. "JUST TELL ME HOW TO START IT OFF, LET'S GET THIS OVER WITH!"

"You'll save me if you just stay away!" Wendy replied, sounding rushed and frightened. "Then it'll all be over!"

Ian laughed and shook his head. "What do I care? It skipped me! For me, it is over. I'm not dying. I'M NOT DYING!"

Ian's focus landed on a trailer that was about a hundred feet behind the group in front of him. He watched as the front of it tipped downward, exposing dozens of lit fuses. Wendy caught was he was looking at and turned. She threw the three of them onto the ground just in time as fireworks zoomed in their direction, heading straight for Ian. He hissed softly as the heat radiated onto his skin, but no other pain came to him. It seemed the way he was holding his arms out permitted the bombs to fly right past him, exploding into the base of the cherry picker behind him. He laughed and turned back to the small group on the ground.

"You see?!" he screamed. "I'm not gonna die! It's you, Wendy. You're dead!" He raised a hand to point at her when a popping sound came from behind him. He looked up and saw the top of the machine sway a bit. This was it. He could move out of the way, or be crushed. As another pop erupted from the base, he made his decision and just stood there and watched as the McKinley sign swept down on him. He didn't want to live without his family anyway. There was a split second of intense pain through his abdomen and then nothing.

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**The End. :) Told you it was sad.**


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